1. Technical Field
The present invention relates, generally, to communication via surface mail and, more particularly, to methods for efficiently generating and distributing surface mail utilizing a global computer network.
2. Background Information
Despite the pervasiveness of the Internet in business and popular culture, a large number of individuals remain unable or unwilling to access the Internet. Indeed, even in the United States, which boasts by far the highest number of Internet users (approximately 100 million by recent estimates), only about a third of the population are consistently on-line. As a result, there is a widening gap between those who use e-mail as a communication tool on a day-to-day basis, and those who are unable to receive e-mail at all.
This problem is most apparent in the electronic greeting card market. While there are many organizations and websites offering the ability to transmit electronic greeting cards of one form or another to a recipient""s e-mail address (or to transmit the mere notification that a card is waiting for retrieval), such systems fail to reach the vast majority of potential recipients.
As a result, systems and methods for preparing surface mail using various computer implementations have been proposed. Such methods, however, are unsatisfactory in a number of respects.
For example, it has been proposed to compose mail pieces at local computers and electronically forward those mail pieces for conversion to hard copy surface mail pieces at stations closer to the destination address than the original composing computer. Such systems fail to use a centralized mail processing facility capable of converting electronic messages to surface mail, taking advantage of bulk mailing rates, and permitting the mail service user a wide variety of creative tools and easy payment of postage.
Furthermore, known systems have been suggested to provide kiosks or other strategically-located computer installations for the creation of mail which is then communicated electronically to a central processing site for printing and mailing as surface mail, or for delivery by E-mail. In this model, the appropriate postal bar code is applied at the central location, and graphics can be applied to the mail by the customer at the kiosk either by the customer""s creation or by his or her selection of available graphic files stored at the kiosk. Such services, however, are inconvenient and expensive, as the mail object cannot be conveniently created at a home PC and communicated via the Internet.
Various schemes for printing postage on hard copy mail by computer have also been proposed, but these have not been a part of an Internet mail composition and posting system or procedure. Businesses of all sizes have, in recent years, computerized many aspects of their operations, but mailings often require a manual and time consuming operation. No readily available computerized bulk mailing method has been suggested which affords reduced cost bulk mail rates to small mailings.
Personalized greeting card production has been suggested by which a computer user can choose a stored card design and add text, then forward the virtual card electronically to a card distribution center from where it can be sent by surface mail. In that arrangement, communication between the user and the card distribution center is by E-mail with the use of an xe2x80x9con-line service.xe2x80x9d These systems are unsatisfactory in that the card-sender has limited options as to the card""s content.
Concerning the production of images in electronically produced mail, the electronic production of a printed picture postcard juxtaposing a self portrait of the user with other imagery has been suggested, all created at a photo booth. However, the proposed system does not contemplate a computer user being able to capture an image available on his or her computer for use on a mail object being composed-to be delivered electronically to a central location for printing and posting.
In the past, creative composition of mail items such as direct mail advertisements has required the time consuming cooperation of the artist, copywriter, and printer to produce custom pieces. For many businesses, the cost is prohibitive. Conversion of a computer generated custom mail piece directly to hard copy mail either for individual recipients or bulk mailing would be an attractive alternative to the current process for both businesses and individuals.
Methods are therefore needed in order to overcome these and other limitations of the prior art. More particularly, there is a long-felt need for systems which allow a user to cost-effectively create and distribute individualized mail items such as postcards using an easy-to-use computer interface available over a global computer network.
This summary of invention section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of the invention and is not a complete description of the invention. Particular aspects of the invention are pointed out in other sections hereinbelow, and the invention is set forth in the appended claims which alone demarcate its scope.
The present invention provides systems and methods which overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for generating and distributing mail items includes the steps of creating a first and a second mail file, wherein each of said first and second mail files includes recipient address information, and wherein said first mail file is generated by a first user, and said second mail file is generated by a second user; transmitting said first and second mail files to a mail service computer over a global computer network; printing, on a single sheet of media, a first mail item in accordance with said first mail file, and a second mail item in accordance with said second mail file; and placing said first and second mail items into a surface mail system, wherein said first mail item is addressed in accordance with said first recipient address information, and said second mail item is addressed in accordance with said second recipient address information.
In this way, a user can cost-effectively create and distribute individualized surface mailings using an easy-to-use computer interface available over the Internet.